44th Infantry Brigade Combat Team trains with M-LIDS Counter-Drone System

Soldiers from the 44th Infantry Brigade Combat Team recently conducted a critical live-fire exercise at McGregor Range Complex, New Mexico, showcasing the capabilities of the M-LIDS (Mobile-Low, Slow, Small-Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System). M-LIDS is a mobile counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) designed to detect, track, and neutralize drone threats encountered during deployments.

The 44th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Base Defense Operations Center crews observed a mobile-low, slow, small, unmanned aircraft integrated defeat system live-fire to instill confidence in kinetic systems capable of shooting down one-way UAS attacks during pre-deployment Green Sands training Continental United States at McGregor Range Complex, New Mexico March 4. Unmanned aerial system attacks are an emerging threat United States Army Central seeks to counter in its two-part Green Sands training initiative. The first part, Green Sands “CONUS,” held stateside Feb. 9- Mar. 5, builds the foundation of Base Defense Operations, and the second part, Green Sands “Heavy,” is a final rehearsal held subsequently overseas.

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Philippines to integrate Israeli-Made Spyder Air Defense System in Balikatan 2024

The annual Balikatan war games, conducted jointly between the Philippines and the United States, are set to witness a significant first in 2024. Colonel Michael Logico, executive agent of Balikatan 2024, confirmed the inclusion of the Spyder (Surface-to-air Python and Derby) air defense missile system in the upcoming exercises scheduled to take place in Central Luzon.

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Project Convergence Capstone 4

Project Convergence Capstone 4 (PC-C4), a U.S. Army-led experiment, is testing the interoperability of various Joint and Multinational Layered Air and Missile Defense systems. This iteration focuses on leveraging data from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and manned aircraft to guide the engagement of ground-based missile systems against airborne threats.

U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Zachary Ybarra, F-35B Lightning II pilot, Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron (VMFAT) 501, Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 31, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW), performs aerial maneuvers during an airshow demonstration practice at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina, Aug. 21, 2023. VMFAT-501 and VMFAT-502, MAG 11, 3rd MAW, are the two components that make up the USMC F-35B Lightning II Demo Team, that perform across the country to demonstrate the capabilities of the fifth generation fighter and interact with the public. Ybarra is a Rancho Cucamonga, California native. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Kyle Baskin)

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First flight test of AMRAAM-ER variant

Raytheon Technologies Corporation (RTX) announced a successful first flight test of the new Extended Range Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM-ER) variant, marking a significant milestone in its air defense missile development program. This innovative variant represents a first-of-its-kind configuration, incorporating several advanced technologies.


Photo: Raytheon
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Assessing the true value of air and missile defense intercepts in the Red Sea

Recent media coverage frequently portrays air and missile defense intercepts through the lens of a simplistic cost comparison: the expensive interceptor versus the seemingly cheap missile or drone it destroys. While such headlines grab attention, Wes Rumbaugh, a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, argues this approach paints an incomplete and potentially misleading picture. In a recent analysis, he delves deeper, urging a more nuanced understanding of the complex factors at play.

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ATLANTIC OCEAN (Nov. 1, 2017) The guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109) launches a SM-2 missile during a live-fire exercise. Jason Dunham is underway with the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group preparing for future operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Zachary Van Nuys/Released)

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